Method of making columns and the like



NOV. 14, 1933. Q SIAWYER 1,934,822

METHOD OF MAKING COLUMNS AND THE LIKE Original Filed March 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l JflOen/o)" awyer Nov. 14, 1933. c. H. SAWYER METHOD OF MAKING COLUMNS AND THE LIKE Original Filed March 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ni h m E W 6115. mqyer 25 the arrows and atthe end Patented Nov. 1 4, 1935;

METHOD OF MAKING COLUMNS N THE Clinton H. Sawyenhlevv York, N. Y.

Originalapplioation March 14,1930, Serial No. a

r, 435,829. Divided and this application'April 20, 1931.; Serial N0..531,358 a 1 This invention relates to the making of columns of straight, tapered, or entasis form, and it is the object of the invention to provide'an improved method of reducing the size of tubes or 5 sections of arcuate shape in cross section to smaller size of either straight, tapered or entasis form for use as flag poles, masts, booms, spars and the like, the same being for subject-matter divided out from my application Serial No. 435,829, which has-matured in Letters PatentNo. 1,871,743, issued August 16, 1932, 1 r I In carrying out the invention longitudinal portionsofa tube of uniform diameter are removed to provide slots tapering from one end toward the oppositeend of the tube and then'the'portions ofthe tube between'the slots are shaped to curved shape in cross section to extend through-an-arc of 180 degrees forthe entire length of the-tube and'the" opposite walls of the slots=broughtand secured in'abutting relation.

-In the drawings accompanying and forming a part 'of this application Figure 1 is a cross sec-' tional view, on an enlarged 'scalejtaken on the line l l'of' Figure 2 looking in the direction of I 7 e of the arrows and at the end'of thedie.

Figure 2 is a side elevation with a supporting sill removed to illustrate the operative parts.

- FiguresB and 4 are'side and end elevations, re

spectively, of a die carryinghead. v

Figuresfi and 6 are'front'and side elevation respectively, of an 'act'uator'ofor die adjusting means mounted on the die carrying head. Q1??? Figures 7 and 8 are side 'and end elevationsQrespectively,'of, a die member. 5

Figure 9 Ba perspective View of a column "or tubearranged preparatory to forming it to ta- 'pered entasis form by drawing or passing the tube I through the die.

Figures'loiandll are end and side views showing the manner of making the tapering slots'in ajtube of uniform diameter'pr'eparatory to shap- .ing a tube to taperedand entasis form.

' Figure12 is a perspective view' of a tubewith the section arrangedwith' the portions between the tapering slots shaped to extend through an arc of 180 degrees andithe opposed edges ofsaid portions brought intoabutting'relation; and, g lfFigure 13 is[a view partly'in section and show-.

ing method of unitingseparate tubes into an intgral structure.' j I "Incarrying out the method of tapering columns of uniform diameter a supporting structure is provided} having a pair of I parallel and laterally spaced -sillsor I-beams 9 mounted upon-blocks "opening through the die.

1 Claim.' (01.1 229-155) S, preferably of concrete, spaced longitudinally of the sills. A die carrier issuspended in interposedrelation between the sills at a point intermediate the ends thereof by asupporting bracket :10 fixed upon and extending betweenthe sills. 0 This die carrierf Figures3 and 4) embodies a vtubular'headportion 11 with the outer contour of rectangular shape in cross section, and having pairs ofaparallelly and laterally spaced ears l2 extended beyond oneend and laterally of the tu- 5 bular portion with one. ear of each pair of ears arranged at a right angle to an ear of another pair of ears, as clearlytshdwn in Figure 4. -"The diecomprises a seriesof members -13 of sector'shapeshown in thepresentinstance as four in number, the curved side or end 14 of which sectors is-arranged eccentric to'the center of the axis of the'sectorsand having a'grooye 15 in the face thereof'of arcuate shape in crosssection and progressively narrowed or tapered from one end 15 to the-opposite end 15 These'sectors are pivotally supported at the vertex between the pairs of ears 121by pins'flfiengaged in perforations 1'7 inthe ears with the curved end 14 extending and adapted to have movement-in the plane of the so axis of the die carrying head 11, the arcuate faces of thefcurved ends being disposed aboutthe axis of the die carrying head to constitute segments of the die and'the'space between said faces the By the a'rrangingfiof the curved end'14 eccentric *to the aXis-IG of the sectorsfthe space or opening between said faceswill be of greater extent when {the sectors are adjusted to the position shown in Figure 2 with the larger end of the arcuate recess 15 in said' faces opposed to each other, and as thesectors are moved oradjusted to position the smaller end of the ;arcuate recess 15 in the faces in} opposed relation-to each other said space will be diminished, andthe arcuate faces constituting a segn'oent ofv acircle conforming to such diminished size. 3 twill be obvious thatby the gradual movementof the sectors that the space between the'sectors will be gradually-dimmished and the arc of the'segment will be correspondingly diminished. I I The sectors are simultaneously adjusted by racks 18, there being four in number equal to the number of the sectors, mounted to have longitudinal sliding movement in recesses 19in the outer surface ofthe die carrying head 11 adjacent to the'ba'se of an ear of each pair of ears12. These racks mesh with gears 20 mounted on the pins 16 concentricof the pivot support 'of'the o sectors and connected thereto whereby the gears j that should the rack actuator 21 beadjusted on adjust the racks and thereby the sectorsthrough the gears simultaneously the racksar'e connected to an actuator in the form ofa colla'r 21'shaped to conform to the exterior cross sectional shape of the head carrying die 11 and slidably mounted thereon, the inner wall of the collar having re cesses 21' therein for the engagement and securing of the racks 18 therein. It will be obvious the die carrying head to the right from the posiactuator, and that the curved ends 14 of the sectors will be moved in the plane and toward the axis of the die carrying head, and when the rack actuator is adjusted in the opposite direction the sectors will be moved in the plane of and away from the axis of the die carrying head. To reduce a columnsuchas atube or circular stock A to a smaller diameter the die sectors are adjusted to accommodate the size of the work. The work is drawn through orbetween the die sectors by engaging the end between the legs of a bifurcated portion 22 of a carriage C suspended between the supporting. sills upon which the carriage is mounted to travel along the same, the work being connected with the carriage by a pin 23 extended through perforations in the bifurcation legs and a hole formed in the work. The carriage is connected to power means (not shown) by a cable or draw *bar 24.v As the work is drawn between the die members they are adjusted by the adjustment of the rack actuator on the die, carrying head until the work' assumes the desired cross sectional shape. 1 i I In the method of forming a tubularpolumn of the same diameter throughout to tapered and entasis form portions of the "tubeor column are first removed to provide tapered'slots extended through. one end andtoward the opposite end, as shown at 25 in Figure 9, the tube in the present instancebeing arranged with two of such slots arranged diametrically opposite, although it may be provided with-a greater number of slots, which may be desirable dependingupon the diameter of the column or tube to be reduced. These slots are preferably formed by a milling cutter 44 of suitable structure, the cutting operation in forming the slots being commenced at one end and to one side of the longitudinal axis of the tube and :the cutter being directed in anQoblique direction toward the axis and opposite end of the tube, the cutting operation being terminated asthe cutter reaches the axis, whereupon the cutter is brought back to the, point of commencement when the operation is again performed on the opposite side of the longitudinal axis, as clearly shown in Figures 10 and 11. By so slotting the tube or column the portions a between the slots are of progressively reduced width from the apices of the slots to the end. To shape the slotted column 'or tube to tapered entasis form the unslotted-end portion26 of the column is engaged between the die members and attached to the carriage as hereinbefore described and as shown inFigure 2, whenthe column or work is drawn between the die members, To shape the slotted portion of the'column to progressively reduced or tapered and'entasis formmeans are provided operative 'from the travel of the carriage along the supporting sills to adjust the die members proportionally to the travel or movement of the column to effect a decrease in the space between the die members.

This is effected by adjustingthe rack actuator 21 along a templet or bar 27 having a cam edge 27 conforming to the'desiredshape or entasis to which the column is to be shaped, said templet bar being supported to have longitudinal sliding =movement and connected with the carriage C,

as at 28, to participate in the movement of the column or tube A.

Tooperatively connect and adjust the rack actuator 21 from the templet bar a follower in the form of a flanged roller 29 engages and follows "the cam edge of the templet, said roller being rotion shown in Figure 2 that the sectors will be ad-,v justed in the direction of movement of the rack' '9. The opposite end of the roller carrier 31 is pivotally connected to an arm 35 fixed on a shaft 36. rotatably supported-at the ends in hangers :37 fixed to or forming a part of and extended downward from the bearings 34, said hangers being'also supported intermediate the ends by the supporting. sills by tie members 38 and spaced from the sills by spacers 39, the hanger at the right as viewed in Figure 1 also carrying-a support 40 for the templet 2'7. lThe shaft 36 is-in the nature of a rock shaft'and is connectedwith the rack actuator 21' by a pair of arms 41 fixed on said shaft and extending upward therefrom-and connected with the rack actuator by links e2 pivotally connected toopposite sides of the rack actuator, as .at 4 3. The parts are shown at the commencement-of the operationof progressivelynarrowing the column or shaping it to tapered form in Figure 2, in which position the templet follower 29 is atthe commencement of the cam edge 27 of the templet. As the column is drawn between the die membersand the follower rides upon the templet cam edge the follower carrier 31 willbe raised-or moved transversely to the longitudinalmovement of the templet thereby rocking the shaft 36 and the arms 41 and through the link connection 42 of the latter with the rack actuator 2-1 move said rack actuator to the right as viewed in Figure 2, and thus adjustingthe die members to reduce the space between the faces of said die members and effecting a shaping of the portions 0. of the .column between the slots "25 to arcuate form' in crosssectiongand the are extending throughsubstantially 180degrees, and simultaneously .therewith bringing the inner edges b, c of the walls of the slots into abutting relation, theslot walls as the slots are cut beingformed to incline toward the axis-of the tubedue tothelforin .of the cutter, thereby not only gradually-lengthwise iii;-

The tubing which is reducedin cross section and progressively narrowed from one endtoithe opposite end .is of stocksize and should the length ofthe desired'fiag pole,mast, boom or spar come within such stock length only one section of the tube length .is required; However, should the length foflthe flag pole, mast, boom-or sparbe re- .quiredto be of a'length greater .thana stock size b 7 1,934,822 then successive sections of tubing of stock size are reduced in cross section and the sections united in endwise relation, the successive sections being progressively narrowed to smaller size and united with the end of larger cross section of one section in alined relation to the smaller end of the adjacent section by a tubular coupling member in the a form of asleeve 45 having the opposite ends engaged in the mating ends of the successive sections with an intermediate portion exposed and annularly reduced in circumference when the successive sections of tubing and'the sleeve are united together by welding, by flowing the welding material into the annularly reduced portion of the sleeve and between the ends of the tube sections flush with the outer surface thereof and thus also maintain the straight line effect of the pole, as shown at 46 in Figure 13.

ing the plates so formed to tubular shape and progressively narrowed from one endto the opposite end, said ends with the longitudinal edges of one plate in abutting relation to the longitudinal edges of the other plate, as indicated by dot and dash line 47, being positioned between the faces 14 of the die sectors 13 preparatory to the drawing of the tube sections through the die in the reducing of the same. b

While I have illustrated and described one embodiment of apparatus for carrying out the method it will be obvious; that various modifications may be made in construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of the invention, and that portions may be used with others and come within tion. e v I Having thus described my invention I claim:

The method of making tapered columns from tubes having the same diameter for the entire length thereof, consisting in removing diametrically opposite portions of 7V shape from the tube v 'and extending through one end toward the opposite end of the tube, and then bringing the inner edges of the oppositewa'll portions of the slots progressively into abuttingrelation and simultaneously shaping the portions of the tube between the slots to circular form in cross section and of progressively tapered and entastic form to the first mentioned end.

CLINTON H. SAWYER.

the scope of the inveni 

